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Sri Lanka Squash (SLS) has teamed up with renowned isotonic energy drink sponsor ‘Yeti’ for the Asian Squash Team Championships to be held from November 27 to December 5 in Malaysia.
‘Yeti’ is scientifically formulated to help meet the hydration and fueling needs of sportsmen and sportswomen, which help them get the most out of their performances.
“In our quest to support the Sri Lanka National Squash Team we will be providing Yeti Electrolyte powders for the upcoming Asian Squash Championship,” Managing Director of ‘Yeti’ Dilshan Balasuriya revealed during a media briefing in Colombo yesterday.
As of the ongoing partnership between Yeti and SLS, the national squash team will have access to the elite Yeti portfolio of sports isotonic products.
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A masterclass hundred from Fakhar Zaman in another final and a searing 61 off 31 balls from No. 7 Arafat Mihas saw Pakistan speed to a target of 326 with nine balls and three wickets remaining in the tri-series final against Sri Lanka to clinch the trophy. Along the way, there had also been Saad Baig’s 74 off 75 deliveries adding serious heft to Pakistan’s innings, as he and Fakhar raised Pakistan up from 14 for 2 with a 149-run third-wicket stand.
Fittingly, captain Shaheen Afridi thumped the winning runs, hitting Dilshan Madushanka over the deep-midwicket boundary for six. Earlier, it had been Afridi who took the vital wicket of Sri Lanka’s centurion Kamindu Mendis to set in motion a chain of wickets that saw Sri Lanka stutter in the last nine overs of their batting innings, stumbling to to 325 for 8, when, at the end of 41 overs, they had been 255 for 2, and headed for a total close to 350.
Where Sri Lanka and Pakistan’s top orders largely canceled each other out, Kamindu and Pavan Rathnayake’s third-wicket partnership of 146 runs from 119 balls was very similar to the stand between Fakhar and Baig. Instead, it was contributions from Pakistan’s lower-order batters that saw them overcome Sri Lanka. Where Sri Lanka’s batting withered after Kamindu’s dismissal, losing five wickets for 28 runs, Minhas and Hasan Nawaz clobbered 94 off 65 deliveries for the sixth wicket to essentially seal victory for Pakistan.
On another track suited to batting, Pakistan’s quicks also shone collectively in the final nine overs of Sri Lanka’s innings. Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah took two wickets each, as Afridi collected excellent figures of 2 for 50 from his ten overs.
Arafat Minhas turned it around with 61 off 31 balls (Cricinfo)
Pakistan did have a significant advantage in bowling and fielding first, however. Significant dew settled on the Lahore outfield late in the evening, hampering Sri Lanka’s bowling and fielding. That Fakhar was dropped on 69 in the 25th over by Maheesh Theekshana – it was a tough chance – did not help, but there were also many ground fielding errors which seemed to compound as Pakistan got closer to the target, and the dew became more pronounced.
Fakhar lived dangerously but paced his innings of 127 off 99 balls beautifully, and forged the kinds of brisk, substantial partnerships that big chases thrive on. His first boundary was a six that touched the fingertips of Madushanka at deep third, as the latter couldn’t quite haul it in. The dropped catch to Theekshana in the 25th over was another difficult chance. Later, in the 32nd over, Theekshana got another hand to a potential catch from Fakhar but had to trod on the boundary and would have struggled to get a hand on it if he hadn’t.
But in any case, Fakhar had done just enough to avoid giving more straightforward catches to Sri Lanka’s fielders. And in between, he struck brutal boundaries. Fakhar was productive on the leg side as usual, with 72 of his 127 runs coming in that direction. The arc between fine leg and midwicket proved particularly fruitful for him. He swept beautifully, pulled with conviction, and though he was occasionally forced to attack the frontline quicks, he also dominated the spinners and less-accomplished seamers with special ferocity.
Sri Lanka had been in control when Fakhar and Baig came together in the fourth over. Madushanka had struck twice with the new ball, having both Maaz Sadaqat and Babar Azam caught at slip. Baig, Fakhar’s partner through the massive recovery stand, was also strong square of the wicket, the pitch providing true bounce that the Sri Lanka batters had also trusted earlier in the day.
Kamindu Mendis celebrates his maiden ODI century (Cricinfo)
Fakhar took 52 balls to get to his fifty, perhaps because early wickets had fallen. But he climbed into a high gear soon after. He got to his 12th ODI hundred off the 84th ball he faced, and had struck 75 off his last 40 deliveries. Fakhar was dismissed in the 34th over by Madushanka, who, having dismissed each of the Pakistan top three, eventually finished with figures of 3 for 63 from 9.3 overs – the best figures in the game.
Pakistan still needed 106 runs at the point of Fakhar’s dismissal, but the pace at which he had scored those runs meant Pakistan’s required rate was less than 6.5 runs an over for the last 16.5 overs. In fact, Pakistan endured a nine-over stretch between overs 33 and 42 in which they did not found the boundary. And yet with batting to come, they were still ahead in the match.
Minhas’ innings was laudably pragmatic. He bided his time and came to grips with conditions in the first 14 balls he faced, hitting no boundaries. Then, after the 42nd over, and after the heavy dew had set in, he exploded. Minhas reaped 48 runs off the last 17 balls he faced, hitting four sixes and three fours all up. The most spectacular of his sixes was a check-driven hit over long-on off Madushanka in the 47th over.
At the start of the next over, Pakistan needed 18 off 18 balls. Minhas then struck two sixes and a four off Asitha Fernando to get Pakistan to within two runs of victory before top-edging a slower ball which Asitha himself chased down. With so many balls remaining, however, there was little doubt who would win by that stage.
Pavan Rathnayake continued his good form with 77 (Cricinfo)
Earlier, Sri Lanka scorched their way to 255 in 41 overs, propelled by Kamindu’s maiden ODI hundred and another sparkling innings from Rathnayake, who hit 77 from 65 balls. Both were brutal on errors of length on a true pitch, with Rathnayake showcasing a powerful sweep again, in addition to his ravishing pull. Kamindu, meanwhile, unleashed virtually the full array of his strokes on his first trip to triple figures in white-ball cricket.
He had been largely unhurried in the early overs, though there was an excellent reverse sweep off Minhas in the seventh over. But having been 18 off 29 balls at the end of the ninth over, he accelerated through the middle overs. That happened first in the company of Avishka Fernando, with whom Kamindu put on 87 off 104 deliveries at the top of the innings, before Rathnayake joined Kamindu in the 22nd over for their big stand.
But Pakistan’s quicks rallied in the last nine overs, and Sri Lanka’s middle order collapsed, as the tailenders had to play out the last 11 balls. After Afridi had got Kamindu lbw when the batter missed a sweep, and Dasun Shanaka was caught at long-on off Afridi in the 44th over, Sri Lanka’s final push was already struggling for momentum.
Then, next over, Rathnayake was caught on the straight boundary off Rauf. That was the first time in four innings that Rathnayake was out for less than 100. He finished as the top run-scorer in the series by a distance, with 427 runs in the tournament at a strike rate of 122.70.
Naseem and Rauf made further strikes to shackle Sri Lanka at the death, producing perhaps the most consequential passage of play in the match – Sri Lanka’s stilted finish.
Pakistan 331 for 7 in 48.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 127, Saad Baig 74, Arafat Minhas 61; Asita Fernando 2-72, Dilshan Madushanka 3-63) beat Sri Lanka 325 for 8 in 50 overs (Kamindu Mendis 131, Pavan Rathnayake 77; Salman Agha 2-44, Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-50, Naseem Shah 2-80, Haris Rauf 2-60 ) by three wickets
Sri Lanka scorched their way to 255 in 41 overs, propelled by Kamindu Mendis’ maiden ODI hundred, and another sparkling innings from Pavan Rathnayake, who hit 77 from 65 balls. But although they were tracking for a total in the vicinity of 350, Pakistan’s seamers rallied in the final nine overs, and Sri Lanka mustered a relatively limp finish.
After Kamindu and Rathnayake’s 146-run partnership off 146 deliveries, Sri Lanka lost five wickets for 52 runs – their tailenders having to play out the last 11 balls. After Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah had all put in excellent finishing spells, Sri Lanka settled for 325 for 8, with only 70 runs coming from the last nine overs.
The target is still daunting, but it does not require Pakistan to break any records. They have chased 349 at this very venue, against Australia, only four years ago. They also have a higher successful chase against Sri Lanka in the books from only three years ago. They will believe they can still lift the trophy.
Kamindu and Rathnayake, however, had been spectacular while they batted together. Both were brutal on errors of length on a true pitch, Rathnayake showcasing a powerful sweep again, in addition to his ravishing pull.
Kamindu, meanwhile, unleashed virtually the full array of his strokes on his first trip to triple figures in white-ball cricket. He had been largely unhurried in the early overs, though there was an excellent reverse sweep off Arafat Minhas in the seventh over. But having been 18 off 29 at the end of the ninth over, he moved up the gears through the middle overs, first in the company of Avishka Fernando, with whom he put on 87 off 104 deliveries together at the top of the innings, before Rathnayake joined him for their big stand in the 22nd over. In between Kusal Mendis had begun brightly too, but was out to an outstanding reflex caught-and-bowled to Salman Agha.
From there, Rathnayake and Kamindu set about scoring freely off Pakistan’s spinners especially, peppering the square boundaries especially, with the left-hander and right-hander both capable of sweeping and reverse sweeping. There were plenty of singles and twos in their stand too. Between them, they struck 20 fours, Kamindu responsible for 12 of those. Kamindu also hit two sixes – a thumping pull over fine leg, and a delectable flick off the pads over deep midwicket. He reached his century with a ramp over the keeper, off the 107th ball he faced.
Pavan Rathnayake continued his good form with a quick 77 (Cricinfo)
It was Kamindu’s dismissal at the start of the 42nd over, however, that precipitated Sri Lanka’s late wobble. He missed an Afridi yorker attempting a scoop and was given out lbw, the batter reviewing unuccessfully. And then batters started holing out, as Pakistan’s quicks varied their pace and cramped batters for room. Dasun Shanaka was caught at long-on off the bowling of Afridi in the 44th over, before Rathnayake was caught at the straight boundary off Rauf, next over. This was the first time in four innings he was out for less than 100, and he will likely finish the top-runscorer in the series by a distance, with 427 runs in the tournament at a strike rate of 123.
Naseem then had Janith Liyanage caught at deep cover, before Dunith Wellalage and Sahan Arachchige were caught behind the wicket in quick succession. Maheesh Theekshana struck a six and Asitha Fernando got a four away in the penultimate over, but Pakistan had nevertheless been effective at applying the brakes, however late in the innings.
Afridi finished with the innings best figures conceding only 50 from his 10 overs, with the key wicket of Kamindu among the two he took. Rauf and Naseem also took two each, as did Agha, who had made the first breakthrough of the day as well, trapping Avishka in front.
Sri Lanka 325 for 8 in 50 overs (Avishka Fernando 38, Kamindu Mendis 131, Pavan Rathnayake 77; Shaheen Shah Afridi 2-50, Naseem Shah 2 -80, Salman Agha 2-44, Harris Rauf 2-60) vs Pakistan
33RD SINGER MCA SUPER PREMIER LEAGUE
Citizens Development Business Finance [CDB] who emerged league champions of the 33rd Singer – MCA Super Premier League will take on runners up Hayleys Group ‘A ‘in the final of the knockout stage of the tournament at the Mercantile Cricket Association ground on Sunday [01st ].
Both teams qualified for the knockout stage final without facing a ball as the quarterfinals and the semifinals were abandoned without a toss due to rain and wet ground conditions.
CDB retained the league stage crown undefeated and convincingly overcame Hayleys Group ’A’ by seven wickets when the two teams met at the Colts Ground three weeks ago [11th].
The CDB squad comprise; Sonal Dinusha, Tharinda Rathnayake, Lahiru Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage, Isitha Wijesundera, Lasith Cruzpulle, Movin Subasinghe, Muditha Lakshan, Lahiru Kumara, Pulidu Perera, Vishva Lahiru, Pavan Rathnayake, Lahiru Udara, Lakshitha Manasinghe, Shevon Danial, Shanikya Deshapriya, Nipun Dhananjaya, Vishad Randika, Ashen Bandara,Nuwan Thushara, Mohammad Siraz, Pawantha Weerasinghe, Sachindu Colobage, Kasun Abeyrathna, Vishwa Dhananjaya and Chamindu Wickremasinghe
The Hayleys Group ‘A’ squad comprise: Ramesh Mendis, Prabath Jayasuriya, Sahan Arachchige, Nuwanidu Fernando, Ravindu Fernando, Minod Bhanuka Ranasinghe, Kavishka Anjula, Kavindu Pathirathna, Garuka Sanketh, Traveen Mathew, Ahan Wickremasinghe, inuka Karannagoda, Sahan Kosala, Dhanajaya Lakshan, Nishan Madushka, Sadeera Samarawickrema, Lakvin Abeysinghe, Nisala Abeyrathna, Jeevahan Sriram, Pulindu Perera
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